ARE YOU
RED BOOK READY?
Whether you’ve recently joined the township team OR have been serving for years, if you find yourself reaching for MTA’s “little red book” (a.k.a., Authorities & Responsibilities of Michigan Townships) as your go-to guide, Red Book Ready is for you.
This self-paced learning journey takes you beyond the book, pairing chapter topics with MTA classes that deliver the same practical advice in a scenario that helps you apply the knowledge to your township. Classes can be taken in person, live online or through MTA’s Online Learning Center. Download the checklist at right for details!
Could this be the year YOU become a Red Book Ready graduate? Click here to enroll and embark on your learning journey today!
Ways to earn credit:
LUNCHTIME WEBINARS
Join us live online or watch the recorded version later!
Did you know that in 2026, more than half of MTA's monthly Now You Know lunchtime webinars qualified for Red Book Ready credit? And this commitment to our hardworking enrollees continues into 2027 and beyond.
To find MTA webinars that qualify, look for the little red book icon (or the letters "RBR") wherever topics are posted. Even if you can't join the live broadcast in real time, you can watch the recorded version later in our Online Learning Center.
Click here for details about upcoming webinars!
UPCOMING TRAINING
Join our in-person workshops & earn RBR credit!
Which MTA workshops, classes or sessions qualify for Red Book Ready credit? It's simple! Look for the little red book icon (or the letters "RBR") wherever course details are posted.
Credit is applied automatically when you attend qualifying classes or events. However, for events where only select sessions qualify, be sure to fill out a credit request form (available here) upon completion.
Check out MTA's upcoming trainings HERE!
ONLINE LEARNING CENTER
Browse nearly 70 on-demand webcasts that qualify for RBR!
While programs such as MTA's Township Governance Academy require candidates to attend at least two classes in person (plus upwards of 18 elective credits, too!) our Red Book Ready courses can be completed entirely online.*
To browse nearly 70 qualifying on-demand webcasts, visit the Red Book Ready landing page in MTA's Online Learning Center. Looking for courses that meet a specific chapter requirement? Type RBR plus the chapter number (e.g., RBR 8) into the search field to filter your list of options.
*NOTE: RBR does require 2 elective credits, which are earned by attending two in-person events. The good news? Attending your own graduation at MTA's Annual Conference & Expo counts as 1 credit!
Click here for the full list of on-demand RBR webcasts!
CREDIT REQUEST FORMS
Let us know when you've completed qualifying RBR courses!
Red Book Ready is a self-paced program, in which you track your own progress and inform us when you think you're getting close to completion. But here's the good news! Credit is automatically applied to your MTA member profile whenever you attend qualifying MTA classes or events.
However, some qualifying courses don't automatically appear in your profile. These include Online Learning Center webcasts as well as select sessions at MTA's Regional Meetings and at the Annual Conference & Expo.
For chapter credit to be applied for any of the above trainings, be sure to fill out a credit request form upon completion.
Click here to view our available forms!
LUNCHTIME WEBINARS
60 minutes each, watch either live online or a recorded version in the Online Learning Center
- January 21: P&Z: NIMBY is Not an Option, Now What? Chapter 15: Land Use
- April 8: What Your Township Needs to Know about Franchises Chapter 14: Franchises
- May 13: Dig Up Your Township's Cemetery Ordinance Chapter 16: Other Statutory Authority
- June 10: Meeting Misconceptions Chapter 6: Meetings
- August 12: Sticky Situation: Ethics in Everyday Decisions Chapter 5: Holding Township Board Office
- October 14: Taxation Trouble Spots Chapter 11: Tax Collecting
- November 18: Drawing the Lines: Inside the Land Division Act Chapter 15: Land Use
UPCOMING TRAINING
Stay tuned for details about these upcoming workshops
Treasurers Guide to Tax Collecting
Chapter 11: Tax Collecting
6 hours; also currently available in the Online Learning Center
- Tuesday, November 24 at Treetops Resort Convention Center in Gaylord
- Wednesday, December 2 at M-Tec at LCC West Campus, Lansing
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December Winter Academy: Fundamentals of Assessing & Taxation
Chapter 10: Assessing the Board of Review
6 hours; also currently available in the Online Learning Center
- At Bay Pointe Inn, Shelbyville | Tuesday, December 8 & Wednesday, December 9
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New Officials Training (Midterm)
Chapters 1, 2, 4 & 5
6 hours; also currently available in the Online Learning Center
- Tuesday, January 5 at Treetops Resort Convention Center in Gaylord
- Thursday, January 7 at M-Tec at LCC West Campus, Lansing
Program FAQs:
Red Book Ready (RBR) is designed to take you “beyond the book” through online and/or in-person classes corresponding to each chapter in MTA’s “little red book” (at left). We pair practical guidance with real-world scenarios you can apply to your township. It’s a great way to break down complex topics into accessible concepts and build on lessons you’ve learned in your leadership journey.
Every elected official, appointed board and committee member, support staff and even volunteers—anyone who plays a role in helping to lead their township—will find these classes to be a valuable use of their time! So why not earn credit along the way?
You can join anytime, and enrollment is FREE! Click here to download an enrollment form or sign up online here.
Check out the credit checklist below, or download your own copy here. It’s a handy way to track your progress chapter by chapter. You don’t have to tackle the chapters chronologically, and there’s no time limit for completing the program. Best of all? Any RBR courses you’ve already taken can be applied retroactively! So who knows? You might be more than halfway there already!
Options abound! Check out our list of current and upcoming courses here, and/or visit our Online Learning Center to see what’s available. In fact, the entire program is designed to be completed online, minus the final 2 electives!
Questions? Email education@michigantownships.org